Seed-corn tester.



C. G. TYLOR.

l SEED CORN TESTER v z ruourol nun un. 11. 1m.

Pitman-9y anomali;

NITD srarns PATENT OFFICE.

i emmene-E c. T .irLoa-,or sinner, iowa.

-ssnnleoim creeren.

Applicata ined April iv, isos. stasi no. $27,741.

To all 4whom it may concern:

Beit known that l, bananen' G. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica,

residing at Sibley, in the county of Osceola and State of Iowa, haveinvented new and useful Im novements in'Sccd-Corn Testers, of which tliefollowing is a speeiication.

This invent-,ion relates to seed corn testers, and one of the principalobjects of the same is to provide a simple, truc and efficient seed box11i which there are a. number of seed openings separated one from theother and indicated by a number, `character or ligure so that a 'kernelof corn planted in one of the openings may be identified with thc earfrom which the kernel is taken 'by numbering the l ear correspondinglyto the opc'ning.

Another object. of the invention is to proi vide a tester box in whichthe conditions for germination will be practically uniform from y thecenter to the edges of the box so that cach4 kernel will have an equalchance to show its germinating power.

It has been found Vin practice that near the edges of seed tester boxesthe soil is warmer than at the cent-er of the box, and hence theconditions for germination are somewhat enhanced at this point ascompared to the ccnter or other portions of the box. y Ihave foundthatbyusing a eoncaved bottom for the box so that the soil is deeperat'the edges than at the center, the seed corn will germinate 'equallyat-all points. i

, XJiothe-r object ol' the invention is to pro- 'vide a tester box inwhich the seed will ermiiiate under conditions closely resemb ing thoseto which itis liable in the field, and in such a way that the seed maybc examined after the plant is developed.

A close following oflicld conditions has to my knowledge never beforebeen attempted in seed corn testers that permitted examina- .tion ofseed after the plant was developed. .I find that with atesterconstructed according to the following description this desirableresemblance is secured wit-hout interfering with the later examinationof the seed.

The Iobjects and advantages hcreinbeiore referred to may be attained bymeans of the construction illust-rated in the accompanying drawing, inwhiehf- Figure 1 is a plan view of a seed corn tester made in accordancewith myinvention. Fig. 2 Vis a transverse vertical section of the same.Fio'. 3 is an end view.'

liefcrng to the d rawing Specification of Letters Patent.

. .rfittneea sept. is, ieee. 4

'. ('.ific description of my invention, the numeral 1` designates theouter box or easing whi'ch maybe conveniently made of wood, certaino'fthe sides or ends thereof being provided each with an air hole 2 whichalso `facilitates handling the box. This box may be provided with cornerastenings 3 to properly hold the parts in place. Secured wit-hin the boxl is a niet-al bottom, preferably of galvanized iron, said bottom havinga concavcdcentral portion 4, uptuined sides 5 and an inturned marginalflange 6. This bot-tom is secured within the box 1 with tlieconvexportion upward and the flanges 6 extendinfv inward member.

The tester member comprises'a rectangu'- lar frame 7 o f a size tofitnicely `within the box 1, said member having a bottom composed ofcross bars 8 and interwoven strips 9 raminous diaphragm provided with aseries of o emngs 10 which are numbered consecutive y from one to ansuitable number. In

ings,.caeh of a size sulllcient to give room for several'kernels ofcorn. This tester-inember, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, extends slight-ly'above the box 1, as' at 11, and the bottom oi the bex 1 is securedslightly above the lower edge of said box, the result of whichconstruction is that one box ma be placed on top of the other and heldirm y in lace by means of the projecting portions 11 that a series ofboxes may bc used and packed awa" in tiers. l

The operation of my invention may be 'briefly described as follows: Thetester niem- -ber 'is first` icmovcd from the box," and soil placedwithin the box upon the bottom' and pro )ei-lymoistened and gotteninto'condition or germination of theseed. The tester member is thenplaced .in )osition on top oi the soil with the soil slightlyvprotruding through the openings 10. The kernels are and planted in the`openings 10, the ears of com' being labeled similarly to the openinrfsin order Vthat they may be later identifie Then the desired iiuinbei ofkernels are planted the tester member is filled with soil to a depth oftwo or three inches and the whole kept at a germinating temperature.Whenit is desired to dcteri'nine the vitality of the various kernelsthis may bedoxie by;

to form a support for the rcmoi-alile tester of wood or metal, saidbottom forming a fothe present instance t ie box shows 200 oper.- A

itting within the bott-oniV of the next box, so

too

then witln'lrawn one at a time from the' ears r removin" the testerniemberinnd exumiiiin7 l? C the plant-s rooted h i the bottoni soil.

vFrom tlieforegoziig it will be obvious that my invent-ion is of simple,compnetroii'sti'ilc- USC.

tion, gives mi equ'nl chance to'eaeh kernel to gerimnzite under uniformsoil conditions, owing toV the dilirent.deptlis.of the. soil -atthe'eenter and sides of the tester, mid is easy to ninnngennd hns beenfound ell'ieient in By the removal of the tester member with thecovering soil theplants :ire neatly exposed for inspection.

Hoving thus described the invention, what is elnii'ned ns new, is:-

1. A seed corn tester eoiiiprising-:m 4outer box having at bottom. whichextends vilp- Wmdly n-s it reeedes from the. sides and eppi'onehes thecenter of' the box, supporting oeviees'ntthe sides of said box et epoint higher thanthe highest portion of the bottom'ond a tester'inemberfitted within the outer box, supported by lsiieh supporting devices iindprovided with e, bottoni having seed o Mailings. i

2. seed tester comprising im outer case or box having n eonenvo-'eonvexbottom secured thereto, said box being provided with nir holes, :i.tester member comprising a.

frame. fitted within the box' endpro'ided i with ii bottom formed byii'iterwoven strips, said bottom providing seed openings eneh nunl'oered'for ident-liciit-ioii, the tester nielnber. projeiting above the box:ind the Cneaved bottonil being seeiire'd wit-hin the box rit :i slightdistance' nbovethe lower edge,'or the purpose dcscribcd.' l

3. seed corn tester comprising im outer box or easing having n eonenvedbottom and inwardly extending marginal llzmg'es, said 'box beingprovided with nir holes, it tester member provided with interwovenstrips at the bottom thereof to foi-in o bottoni having Aseed openingstherein, each numbered for identilieartion, said tester member vbeingremovable sind liftni 'f thevcovering soi-l` from the. plants, and sindtester member prepoteured zito slight distance above the lower edwc, forthe purpose described.

n testimony whereof I :tiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE o.` TAYLoR.

W't-nesses:

J. F. Mx'rtrnn'rr, E. C. UPP.'

-ing n-bove the box :ind eoncitved bottom se-

